fMRI as a way to investigate auditory system impairment in people with language disorders

I wrote a letter in response to the article by CL Pan et al. on auditory agnosia caused
by a cancerous growth that invaded the inferior colliculi in a 14-year-old child. This
was one of several attempts I have made to point out the long-forgotten papers on
damage of the inferior colliculi caused by asphyxia at birth.

Functional MRI (fMRI) may provide a way to investigate auditory system
function in people with acquired or developmental language disorders.

Pan CL, Kuo MF, Hsieh ST. Auditory agnosia caused by a tectal germinoma.
Neurology. 2004 Dec 28;63(12):2387-9.

Windle WF. Brain damage by asphyxia at birth. Sci Am 1969; 221: 76-84.

Myers RE. Two patterns of brain damage and their conditions of occurrence.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 1972; 112:246-76.

October 2006

Working version

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My letter, with a response from the authors was published in July 2005 [Neurology,
2005 Jul 26;65(2):339], and both are also online at:
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/63/12/2387

Note: In their response, authors Hsieh and Pan point out that
frequency components of complex sound spectra are resolved
in the inferior colliculi, which may be important for language
development. They further point out that inadequate anatomical
resolution has up to this time prevented investigation of the
inferior colliculi in the language disturbance of children with
pervasive developmental disorders, but that now, with magnetic
resonance imaging, these hypotheses are ready to be tested!